For Moments Like This
by fictivity
Summary: After a rough night, two-year-old Henry doesn't make things easy for his mother and Regina questions her own parenting abilities. Henry/Regina family feels


For Moments Like This

The day began with a struggle.

Loud, heartbreaking wails echoed through the mayoral mansion as little feet kicked wildly, chubby arms flailing about and hitting the hands of the exasperated mother. Regina Mills sighed and closed her eyes for a brief moment in order to compose herself.

"Henry, please. You know Mommy needs to leave for work."

She tried again to get a hold of the little boy's feet but the two-year-old squirmed away.

"Noooo!" he cried, crocodile tears streaming down his face and legs kicking again when his mother attempted to pull the socks over his naked feet. "Stay hooome!"

Regina was torn between sympathy and irritation. Henry had had a rough night. He'd woken up crying at 2 A.M. and only went back to sleep two hours later, after Regina had given in and taken him into her bed, snuggling his little body close to her own and whispering words of reassurance until his fear of nightmares subsided and he succumbed to exhaustion. But she needed to be at the town hall at 8 sharp for the morning conference. She couldn't be late.

Regina eventually managed to get a hold of her son's ankles, which led to the wails turning into eardrum-shattering screeches. "No, Mommy! No!"

"Henry, it's just the socks. You'll be able to sleep in the car." She tried to reason, although she knew that her words were fruitless. Henry was upset and exhausted and her words barely reached him.

* * *

When the boy's feet were clad in pale-blue socks and mother and son where ready to leave, Regina decided to forego the shoes for Henry this morning. He wouldn't be outside anyway. She took her son's tiny hand into her own.

"Okay, sweetheart. Let's go."

"Nooo!" he whined, turning around and pulling his hand from her grasp. He hurried over to his bed, clinging to the bedpost. Heart-wrenching sobs made his small body tremble.

"Henry, we need to leave. Now!" Regina felt her patience slipping and stalked over towards her son, taking a firm but gentle hold of his arm and pulling it away from the bedpost. "We don't have time." She tried to explain while trying to drag his body out of the room. "No, Mommy!" The boy pulled, twisting his arm in the process. "Ouch! Ouch! Mommy!" Regina instantly loosened her hold, resorting to taking the crying toddler into her arms instead and, after a brief inspection to assure that no real harm was done, carrying him down the stairs, all the while struggling not to drop the squirming child.

* * *

She finally reached the Benz at 7:40, almost half an hour later than their usual routine. Henry still struggled when Regina put him into his car seat, holding his heads over the snap of the seatbelt buckle and thereby hindering his mother from buckling him in.

"Henry!" Regina seethed, now yelling at the boy and taking both of his wrists to still his movements. "Stop that right now! Mommy is really angry!" As she let go of his wrists he placed his hands back to their previous position. "STOP THAT!" she yelled and her son flinched at the unusually loud and fierce tone of his mother's voice. Tears started to stream down his face again, but he gave up his fight.

The car ride was silent apart from the little boy's sniffles.

* * *

Regina felt restless, glancing out the window and fidgeting with her phone. She could barely pay attention to the conference, words reaching her ears but not her brain. Her thoughts were still with her son.

Henry had still been crying when they'd arrived at the daycare center and there'd been no time to set things straight. Regina regretted her harshness and she was unable to shake the feeling of remorse. She longed to take her little boy into her arms, hold him close and stroke his hair while whispering words of comfort.

She wondered sometimes if she was a bad mother. If she was too strict or too lenient. If she lost her patience to fast and if she'd ever be able to raise him right. The feeling made her heart clench.

* * *

She left work early that day, deciding to shop for groceries before picking her son up from daycare. And when Henry saw her and came running towards her with a beaming smile and his arms outstretched for a hug as if nothing had happened that morning, her worry lessened and the force constricting her chest loosened. She could breathe again.

Picking her son up and clutching him maybe a little too tightly in her arms, she smiled at his chubby face, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead. She was rewarded with the most beautiful giggle that made her heart swell with motherly love.

Motherhood was, in many ways, harder than imagined. It was a constant challenge, nerve-wrecking and exhausting, heart-warming and thrilling all at once. Sometimes, there were moments when Regina wondered whether she had made the right decision and if she'd ever be able to give Henry everything that he needed and deserved. Sometimes, she wondered if she could ever make him happy.

But when they returned home that day and Henry climbed the couch with his cuddly blanket, settled on her lap and snuggled into her chest, Regina knew that it was all worth it in the end and that, at least for the time being, her son was content.

She smiled down at his sleepy face and one of her hands wrapped around his back while the other came down on his head, stroking short sandy-brown hair and watching as a content smile appeared on Henry's beautiful chubby face.

"I love you, Mommy." He mumbled, his words almost inaudible.

"I love you, too, my little prince. I shouldn't have yelled at you this morning. I'm sorry, sweetheart."

She continued to run her hand through his hair even long after he'd fallen asleep. She watched with motherly pride as he nuzzled his head against her chest and tightened his hold on her. She even smiled when he lifted one thumb to his mouth and began sucking it in rhythm with her strokes.

Eventually, Regina closed her own eyes and reveled in the feeling of warmth in her heart. And it was then that she knew what she'd done everything for, why she'd cast a curse and sacrificed all that she had in order to come to this world. Thoughts of revenge completely dissipated, and it was only now that she realized what she really did this for.

For love. For warmth.

For moments like this.


End file.
